How did it all happen? A SasuNaru Fic
by ni-you-wo-de-xin
Summary: [HIATUS] Sasuke and Naruto are together, but they don't want anyone to know it. Gaara and Neji can't decide how they feel about each other. I suck at summaries. [2 reviews until a next chapter!] [R&R please!] [SasuNaru, KakaIru, GaaNeji]
1. How did I wind up here?

**This is the first chapter (d'uh), but edited. I'm adding more and fixing spelling mistakes, more descriptions and everything, slowly I'll be working my way through almost every chapter, especially the first few. I re-read them ad was shocked by how bad they were. I thank all the people who bothered to read past them!**

**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANY CHARACTERS CREATED BY THE WONDERFUL AUTHOR WHO CAME UP WITH THEM.**

Uchiha Sasuke woke one morning to the familiar sounds of birds chirping and young children laughing and playing. All was calm, and all was as it should be. He got up out of bed and inspected the lump in the sheets next to him. Yup, all was as it should be.

**Wait, kids playing? Birds chirping? Lump in the bed? **And what was with this orange mass at his feet. **Wait, ORANGE?**

_Oh no. This is not happening._ Sasuke heard a groaning sound from behind him. He turned, and sure enough, there was the dobe, sitting in Sasuke's bed, WITHOUT A SHIRT ON!

Wait, Naruto being in his bed still didn't explain the strange noises. But, it…it couldn't be! He looked around the room and out the window. He inspected all the cupboards and sheets, and suddenly realized, **HE WAS IN THE NARUTO'S ROOM, IN HIS BED, WITHOUT A SHIRT ON!**

This was all happening too fast. He moved towards the door, and decided he had to go home and try to remember what could possibly have happened the night before that he would end up here.

There was a rustling from the direction of the bed, and then the sound of fists rubbing tired eyes. _Oh no, he's really awake now._ _I've got to get out of here. NOW!_

"Leaving so soon?" he heard the blonde ask. _This is really bad._ "And without your shirt?" he heard a suppressed sort of laugh giggle thing coe form the other boy at this question. "And… pants?"

"Gimme those Usuratonkachi." Sasuke said angrily as he grabbed his clothes out of the blonde's hands and stormed into his bathroom. It was tiny compared to the large one in his master bedroom at the Uchiha mansion, and dirty too. He quickly put his clothes on and stormed out of the small apartment.

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Back home, Sasuke tried to recall the events of last night. First, he was thoroughly embarrassed by Naruto's laughing at him for not being able to remember anything, and also because of the people giving his strange looks on his way home.

Why couldn't he remember what had happened? He racked his useless brain for any possibly helpful answers, but came up with none.


	2. Ramen with Iruka

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. ALTHOUGH I WISH I DID, I **DO NOT**.

Back at the Uchiha mansion, Sasuke was thinking over what had occurred between him and the Uzumaki boy the night before. For some reason, he just couldn't remember! This was starting to worry him, because he normally had such a good memory.

_The dobe must have done something to my food!_ _That's got to be it!_ So Sasuke got to thinking what poisons the dobe could possibly have come up with to make him forget like this. Either way, it was bound to wear off eventually, and then he would kick the dobe's ass for whatever it was he must have done. No way in hell Sasuke would sleep with him.

"Of course not. Never! Me and the dobe? Preposterous! Or, would I? No Never!" Sasuke was pacing the room racking his brain for ideas when the phone rang and startled him so bad he almost screamed. _Retain your cool Sasuke. Don't let the dobe and his tricks get to you._ He picked up the phone. The familiarly cheery voice of Sakura was on the other line.

"Sasuke?"

"Yes Sakura?"

"It's Sakura."

"I know, you just said that."  
"Oh, I'm sorry, I guess I did."

"Whatever, just, why are you calling me?"

"Oh, yeah… right. Well, I heard a rumor from Ino-chan that you were at Naruto-kun's place this morning, and you were blushing and you seemed to be in a hurry, and, well, I just wanted to find out what it was all about. You know?"

"Oh, that. It was nothing."  
"What do you mean nothing?"

_This is getting annoying._

"It was nothing, okay?" Sasuke said, maybe even yelled a bit.

"Jeez Sasuke-kun, you didn't have to be so mean about it." Sakura sounded so sad. How pathetic.

"Look Sakura, it's nothing, okay?"

"Okay, sure thing Sasuke-kun."

He hung up before she had a chance to.

_Okay, now that that's over, time to continue pacing and racking my brain for ideas as to what the baka could have done to me. As soon as this shit wears off, I'm gonna kick his ass._

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Sasuke was at the ramen stand. Naruto's ramen stand come to think about it. It was 12:30PM. Sasuke was deep in thought when Iruka-sensei showed up.

"Ohiyou Sasuke-kun"

"Ohayou Gozimasu Iruka-sensei"

"So, how are you? You looked a bit dazed. You sick or something?"

"What? Oh, no I'm not sick. I just didn't get a good night's sleep last night."

Iruka must have heard something in his tone of voice because a sick smile spread out across his face.

"Oh, so have you seen Naruto-kun today?"

_This isn't good. I think he's catching on to something._

"Um, no Iruka-sensei, I haven't."

"Well, that's strange, he's late."

"Is he supposed to meet you here or something?"

"Oh, yeah. He is. He said he had something to tell me, and he sounded very excited."

"Oh, well, I've got to go now. Nice to see you again Iruka-sensei."

Sasuke got up to leave, but Iruka grabbed his shoulder and made him sit back down again.

"Nonsense. You've barely touched your ramen! What are you in a hurry for anyway?"

_Well, I can't exactly say "I'm hiding from Naruto-kun because I woke up naked in his bed this morning, and couldn't remember why."_

"No reason, I'm just in a hurry to get back to training, that's all."

"You'll faint if you don't eat anything Sasuke-kun."

_I've got to get out of here. That's all there is to it. I've got to get out of here no matter what it takes._

"Iruka-sensei!"

_Oh no. Please no. He can't be here. Oh, but he is._

"Oh, hi Sas-uke, I didn't know you'd be here today"

_What did the little fr just call me? I'll kick his ass!_

"Oh, hello Naruto."

"Why are you so cold to me today Sas-uke?"

Now Sasuke was sure that he was blushing. He turned to eat his ramen, and noticed that Iruka's smile had gotten inhumanly wide, and that he was almost crying with suppressed laughter.

"Sas-_uke_? Naruto, Sasuke-kun, is there something you're not telling me? Are you, his… _uke?_" Iruka said.

"Wha-?" Sasuke had fire in his eyes (no, really, you know how in mangas they draw fire in their pupils? Well, it was like that. CREEPY!). He got up and his eye twitched. He was turning to walk away, but instead turned around and screamed.

"What? **NO WAY WOULD I EVER BE UKE TO THAT LITTLE CRETIN! NO WAY WOULD I _EVER_ BE UKE FOR THAT MATTER. ANYWAY, JUST ASK NARUTO. I WAS SEME, HE WAS UKE. MY GOD, WHO DO YOU THINK I AM?"** Sasuke was red in the face and out of breath from his nice little rant.

_Oh shit. I just said that out loud, didn't I. Damn it!_

"Sasuke, did you really fk Naruto-kun?" Iruka looked perplexed and scared.

"Naruto-kun, is this true?"

Naruto looked embarrassed. He was blushing. He must have decided that this would be good for his reputation though, because he went along with it.

"Well Iruka-sensei, I did let him be seme, but only last night. Usually he's very… _submissive…_" Iruka looked simply shocked. His little kyubbi-kun was fg Sasuke?

Somehow Iruka had always imagined that Naruto would come to him for advice or well, he had expected it to be girls, but that wasn't what he was saddened about. It was the fact that he had to acknowledge that his Naruto-kun was getting older.

"What do you mean _let_ me be seme? That one time I was uke was only because it was your tenth birthday and I let you have one birthday wish!" Sasuke and Naruto were full-out yelling now.

They were attracting a crowd, but Iruka wasn't sure if they knew it. Probably not, because they were so preoccupied with yelling at each other that they didn't notice when Kakashi popped out of nowhere and sat himself down next to Naruto to order himself a bowl of ramen. Iruka moved over to sit on his other side.

"Ohayou Kakahsi"

"Yo Iruka"

Kakashi didn't look up from his steamy hot bowl of ramen.

"Hey Iruka, would you mind terrible being quiet? You see, this fight is interesting, and I want all the juicy details. I mean, listen to those two fighting. They'll probably spill everything. I mean, they don't seem to notice anything!"

Iruka was a bit taken aback by this request. Then he remembered that this was Hatake Kakashi he was talking to. Coming from him, this was to be expected.

"Actually, I have a little experiment. Iruka, switch seats with me, would you?"

"Umm… sure Kakashi." The two men switched seats.

Before he knew it, Kakashi had Iruka's hand in his, and was controlling his movements. Before he had time to react, Kakashi had made Iruka do the unthinkable. He had just grabbed Naruto-kun's ass.

Kakashi quickly pulled his hand away, but Iruka was so stunned that he still hadn't let go.

Naruto moaned. It was a deep, soft, sexy moan that gave Iruka a strange, uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't quite place it though.

Sasuke turned around, eyes ablaze…

**WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO POOR IRUKA-SENSEI? WHAT WAS KAKASHI THINKING? WHAT WILL SAKURA SAY? AND, NEJI'S HERE TOO? 'YUP! HE IS! FIND OUT IN CHAPTER THREE; THE WOES OF POOR IRUKA.**


	3. The woes of poor Iruka

**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO, AS MUCH AS I WISHED THAT I DID.**

**OKAY PEOPLE, HERE COMES THE LONG-AWAITED APPEARANCE OF NEJI HYUGGA.**

**NOTE: PLEASE FORGIVE MY MISSUSE OF THE WORD "ARIGATO" IN THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER. I WAS IN A SUGAR-HIGH FRENZY WHILE WRITING IT, AND I QUICKLY CORRECTED MY ERRORS. THANK YOU FOR BEING CONSIDERATE ENOUGH TO TELL ME THOUGH!**

_Words in italics are character thoughts._

_**Words in italics and bold are the kyubbi's/ the inner characters thoughts.**_

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Chapter 3; The Woes of Poor Iruka

Sasuke turned around, eyes ablaze…

"What did you just do?" The raven-haired Uchiha roared.

"You did not just touch my dobe!" Iruka was afraid now. So was Naruto.

"Sasuke-kun, calm down!" Naruto was trying franticaly to calm Sasuke, and to no avail. The Uchiha boy was angry, and the poor teacher was going to feel his wrath.

"You did NOT just touch my dobe…" The raven-haired boy repeated as if in a trance. Naruto heard Iruka make a strange whimpering sound. He hadn't thought that the grown man would be this afraid of his Sasuke.

Iruka saw Naruto jump in front of him.

"Sasuke-teme, he really didn't mean it" Naruto was desperate now. He had one of those adorable huge anime sweat drops on his left temple, and it was starting to bother him.

_What is this thing on my forehead?_ _It's huge, and I think it looks like a sweat drop, bu-_

Naruto's train of thought was blown off the tracks when Sasuke shoved him out of the way roughly.

"Step aside Naruto. I'll deal with you later." There was no mistaking the danger in the Uchiha boy's voice. Naruto decided it was in his best interest to run, and he did.

His feet and legs blurred into a strange cloud, and there was a huge trail of dust blowing behind him.

_This is so weird! I mean, what happened to my legs?_

_**Dobe. It's anime, d'uh! God, baka, you're stupider than I thought possible. I mean, this is low, even by your standards dobe.**_

_Hey! Stop it! Now you're starting to sound like Sasuke!_

**_Well, I thought you would have liked that…_** The kyubbi said mockingly.

_Shut up you!_

**_Dobe._** Then the Kyubbi retreated into the dark recesses of Naruto's mostly empty mind.

Just then, Naruto ran into (…drum roll, hey, where did that come from? Oh well. Here he comes! Girlish squeal of delight) Neji Huygga!

"Watch where you're going."

"Hmp. So, Neji, where're you going?"

"Ichiraku's. What's it to you?" Naruto decided to warn him.

"Well, I wouldn't go there if I were you. See, Sasuke's all fired up, and Iruka-sensei is about to really regret having lunch there today." Neji raised an eyebrow.

"And do I want to know why Sasuke is furious at Iruka-sensei?" Naruto wasn't sure what to say.

"Well, umm… I don't know really. You see, I was just down at ol' man Ichiraku's and Sasuke was all furious man, so I was just leaving when-"

"You mean running away as if you were being chased by the furious Sasuke Uchiha instead of Iruka-sensei?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever, as I was _saying_ I wouldn't go anywhere near Ichiraku's if I were you."

"Okay fine, I'm going back to training then. But first, let me just check out what's going on at Ichiraku's. Byakugan!"

The veins popped out on the Hyugga's temples. Many smaller beads of perspiration were appearing on the Kyubbi boy's forehead.

"Umm… Naruto, I'm probably going to regret asking this, but why is Uchiha screaming "You're next Naruto, you better watch your back or you'll end up like this pervert here, so come out of hiding and I _might_ go a little easier one you…"?"

"Uh oh." Naruto was really afraid now.

"How's Iruka-sensei looking?" Naruto just had to ask. If it was really bad, he would feel really guilty if it was.

"Well, let's just say there'll be a sub at the academy for the next week or two." Naruto winced.

"It's really that bad?"

"Yes."

"Sorry Neji, gotta go!" By the time the Hyugga boy turned around, the blonde baka was already half a mile away.

Neji sighed. This place was just too weird for him. He wanted something more peaceful, predictable than this. He activated his byakugan once more to check if Ichiraku's was clear of Sasuke, and once he confirmed that all was safe, he proceeded to the ramen stand.


	4. Ichiraku's second best customer!

**Okay people, I know that the last chapter wasn't all that great, but I promised people that I would have it up by Sunday, it was Sunday night, and I was in desperate need of a chapter. This is another one of those, but I'm gonna try to make it better. Your reviews are the only reason I keep writing these fics (well, that's a lie, I write them for my own personal enjoyment… lol) so keep the reviews coming!!!**

**P.S. Dessy-chan, this one's for you!**

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As Neji Huygga approached Ichiraku's ramen stand, he saw the owner of the store sweeping up shards of a broken bowl. The girl who worked wit him was picking up a stool, and was mopping a thick red liquid off the countertops.

_Poor Iruka-sensei. I wonder what he sis to make Uchiha-san so furious towards him. I should remember to ask Naruto. Or maybe I cannot help it. Perhaps it is not my destiny._

**I JUMP IN AND KICK NEJI-KUNS ASS… "NEJI! STOP WITH THE WHOLE DESTINY THING! UN THE FAMED WORDS, DUDE, YOU HAVE A DISEASE…"**

**NEJI: "WELL, I AM SURE THAT IT IS MY DESTINY TO MEET YOU AND HEAR THIS CRITISISM. I WILL TAKE IT TO HEART."**

**ME: "DOES THAT MEAN YOU'LL STOP WITH THE WHOLE DESTINY THING?"**

**NEJI: "NOW, NOW, I NEVER SAID I'D DO ANYTHING RASH LIKE THAT."**

**ME: THWACKS NEJI OVER THE HEAD VERY HARD. "NEJI, IF I DIDN'T NEED YOU TO SURPRISE DEYY-KUN, I WOULD KILL YOU OFF. OH, THAT AND THE FACT THAT I LOVE YOU. NEJI, WILL YOU MAYY ME?"**

**NEJI: "AND WHO ARE YOU AGAIN?"**

**ME: RUNS TO GO CRY IN THE EMO CORNER. "OH, HI SASUKE. WHAT YOU IN FOR THIS TIME?"**

**SASUKE: "OH, YOU KNOW, THE USUAL. THE WHOLE GOTTA GO KILL ITACHI THING. MY PSYCHIATRIST RECOMENDS THIS. YOU?"**

**ME: "NEJI'S BEING A BITCH, SO I LEFT HIM."**

**SASUKE: "OH YEAH, THAT HYUGGA GUY'S A REALLY ASS."**

**ME: HITS SASUKE VERY HARD "OH, YOU DID NOT JUST INSULT MY NEJI-KUN!!!"**

**SASUKE: RUNS FROM ME.**

**ME: "HAH! TAKE THAT YOU LITTLE STUCK UP PRICK!"**

Okay, sorry about that people.

Neji sat at one of the newly-dusted stools.

"If it's not too much to ask, may I please order a large bowl of miso ramen?"

"Sure thing Neji." Ol' man Ichiraku said with a smile.

"You know, although you are our second-best customer, next to Uzumaki-san, I don' usually see you during the day. You tend to come at night when no one you know is around to see you eating ramen." Neji was surprised by the man's observantness. I know that's not a word, but I don't care! Hah!

"Well, I was coming to… _see_… a certain someone, but I assume he left after the, _meeting_ of Uchiha-kun and Iruka-sensei."

Mr. Ichiraku sighed. "Who were you looking for Hyugga-san, may I ask?"

"Oh, it's no one."

_Wow, I can't believe I managed to keep a straight face during that lie. I mean, if I had told him why I was _really_ there, well… I just don't want to think about that kind of thing right about now. It's not destiny._

**I jump in and hit Neji very hard again**

**Me: "Neji, you're staring to get on my nerves. As much as I love you, this story will be able to go on without you, and I know many a dark closet…**

**Neji: "Fine, I'll drop the destiny complex. For now…**

"Okay. Well, here's your large miso ramen Neji." The old man said with a kind smile as he handed the young boy with kickass hair **WHAT SHAMPOO DO YOU USE NEJI? I NEED TO KNOW!** a large bowl of steamy ramen.

"Thank you." Neji devoured the bowl silently in a record time of one minute and thirty-five seconds before dropping the money on the counter and bolting withought even so much as a thank you or a goodbye.

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**Me: Okay people, I know I made many appearances in this chapter bu-**

**Dessy-chan: Many appearances? How about TOO many appearances you annoying-**

**Me: As I was _SAYING_, please read and review. I hope you love it, if not… well… RUNS AND SITS IN THE EMO CORNER**

**Dessy-chan: RUNS TO GO JOIN HER It's okay Zoe-chan!!! I'll get rid of the mean people for you.**

**RUNS AROUND SCREAMING LIKE THE MANIAC SHE REALLY IS**


	5. Lies and deciet

**OKAY, I KNOW I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN FOREVER, BUT I'VE HAD A SERIOUS CASE OF WRITEER'S BLOCK. IN FACT, THIS CHAPTER WILL PROBABLY BE TERRIBLE, BECAUSE I STILL DOIN'T KNOW WHAT TO WRITE.**

**DISCLAIMER: I LOVE YOU NARUTO!!!!!**

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Naruto drops by the academy

As the blonde haired boy stepped into the large classroom, he was faced with his greatest fear (of the moment). What Neji-kun had said about there having to be a sub at the academy was true. Instead of the friendly smiling face of Iruka-sensei, he saw Anko-sensei.

**Me: GAAAAAH! I can't believe I put Anko in this! I HATE Anko!**

**Dessy-chan: Don't worry Zo-zo-chan, I hate her too,**

"Naruto-kun, are you looking for Iruka-sensei? If so, I'm afraid he called in sick this morning." Anko said to him without taking her eyes off the class.

Naruto noticed that instead of looking happy like they usually did, the students were all working on a worksheet. _This must be Anko-san's way of doing things_.

Disappointed, Naruto left the academy, and went to Konoha General Hospital instead. He figured that if it was so bad that Iruka-sensei couldn't teach, he would probably be here. But at the front desk, the kyubbi boy was told by a friendly nurse that Iruka couldn't have any visitor's for the moment because they were running some tests. Come back tomorrow maybe.

So Naruto went off to Ichiraku's. There he saw Hyugga-kun.

"Yo Neji, what's up!" Naruto said excitedly. "I didn't figure you to be the type to eat ramen!"

**Dessy-chan: I told you so!**

**Me: Bah, my fic.**

Neji blushed. "Ummm, no I was just here getting a bowl of ramen to take to Lee-san. He isn't feeling so well." Naruto thought that Neji sounded a bit suspicious, but he didn't pursue it. He didn't want to end up arguing about destiny again. Man, did that guy have a problem or what!

"Really? Is he okay? What's wrong, where is he, can I go see him?"

Neji was running out of excuses. "Um, no, you may not." Before he could ask why, Neji threw in something that he knew was sure to shake the blond boy off his trail. "It's not your destiny."

**Me: Hits Neji over the head for his stupid destiny complex.**

And with that, Neji took the bowl of ramen and fled.

Neji's POV:

_Boy, that was a close call back there at Ichiraku's. If Naruto ever found out that I eat ramen, I'd be doomed!_

The long-haired boy ran off into the forest where he savored his ramen in silence, in a dark corner where no one would ever find him.

_No one ever needs to know…_


	6. Important Author's Note

**I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a long time. I'm kind of in total writer's blobk mode, and I'm working on way more fics than I can handle.**

**If anyone has any idea, I'd love to hear 'em!**


	7. A spoonful of yaoi

**Wow, I really haven't updated in forever. I'm kinda sorry about that. I really need some people to give me ides, because I have NONE!!!!! Runs of to go cry in the corner muttering something about the root of all evil…**

**Well, this chapter probably won't have any sasunaru in it, but it might. Depends on if anything suddenly hits me while I'm typing this.**

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BTW: I'm sorry that the plotline hasn't gotten anywhere recently…

(This is back when Naruto had just run away from Sasuke)

Back at his place, Naruto was busy barricading the door with furniture to stop Sasuke from coming in and beating the shit out of him.

Of course, Naruto being the genius that he is, left the window open, because he was hot.

(A/N: Guess what! Sasunaru came to mind!!!)

_Hmm, it's quiet in here. Too quiet…_

Naruto walked over to the radio and turned it on. He then let loose a rather uncharacteristic girlish squeal of delight.

"I love this song!!!!!"

(A/N: I don't own this song, it belongs to Linkin Park. As I forgot to say earlier, Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto)

"When I pretend,   
Everything is what I want it to be,  
I looked exactly like what you had always wanted to see,  
When I pretend,  
I can't forget about the criminal I am,  
Stealing second after second just cause I know I can,  
But I can't pretend that this is the way, it'll stay, I'm just,  
Trying to fend the truth  
I can't pretend I'm who you want me to be so I'm,  
Lying my way from

You!!!!!!!"

The young blonde boy began to sing loudly while pilling chairs up against his front door.

Suddenly the music stopped.

Naruto turned around to see why, and to his shock, found a certain raven haired teenager standing next to the radio, hand on his hip, with his head tilted to the side impatiently.

"What are you doing Dobe? Trying to barricade me out?"

"S…Sasuke! No! N…Nothing like that!!!"

Sasuke looked skeptical.

He walked over to his blonde lover and wrapped his arms around the younger boys neck loosely so their faces were about a foot apart.

"Then, what were you doing…Naru-chan?"

His voice had lowered a bit in pitch, as he was trying to be more seductive.

As planned, Naruto fell for the bait.

"Nothing! I was… just, um…well, you see, I was, ah…"

Sasuke moved closer, so that their foreheads were touching, and their lips also.

"Well, it looks like my kitsune-kun had been bad. I'll have to, punish him, now won't I?"

Naruto gulped audibly, and Sasuke chuckled. The taller boy then pulled away and picked the blonde up bridal-style, and carried him into the next room, where the bed should have been. Had it not been pushed up against the door that it.

"Naru-chan, where's your bed?"

"Umm… under the kitchen table?" Naruto said guiltily.

"Ah, I see. I would ask you why it's under the kitchen table, but I'm guessing the results won't be any more informative than the last time I asked you why your furniture was piled up against your door."

Sasuke then placed him on the ground, and pushed his up against the wall.

He slammed their lips together harshly, and since Naruto's mouth was open to protest against his last statement, the other boy's tongue slipped right in. It roamed around, tasting every crevice of the warm, hot space.

Naruto, not wanting to be outdone, moved his right hand under Sasuke's shirt. The older boy moaned under his touch. Naruto's hand roamed up and down Sasuke's muscular chest as the two continued kissing, breaking apart only twice for much needed air.

Sasuke's hands were just moving down towards the younger boys pants when the doorbell rang.

Naruto pushed him away.

"Just ignore it kitsune-kun." Sasuke whispered in his ear.

"N…No, I should go see who it is Sasuke."

"Don't you want to stay here with me Naru-chan?"

"Don't gimme that Sasuke."

"Hn."

"Please let me go, Sasu-koi?" Naruto said in his cutest possible voice, giving the other boy his "puppy dog" eyes.

"Hn. Fine."

"Thank you!!" he placed a quick kiss on his cheek, and then ran out to the other room, jumping out the window in one swift motion.

From back in the bedroom, Sasuke could hear Naruto talking to whoever it was that was at the door.

Naruto's POV:

"Oh! Hi Sakura-chan! What's up?"

"Naruto, why did you just come out the window?"

"Oh, um… my door's jammed."

"Okay, whatever. Just wanted to tell you, Kakashi-sensei told me to come and find you and Sasuke. We have a mission tomorrow. Do you know where he is?"

"Oh, ummm…" Naruto, not wanting to tell Sakura about him and Sasuke just yet, was forced to lie. Something he almost never did. "Don't worry Sakura-chan, I'll tell him. We're supposed to train together later anyway. It's no problem!"

"Well…Okay Naruto, Just don't forget!"

"No way I'd forget Sakura-chan! You can count on me, DATTEBAYO!" (a/n: Sorry, I just had to put that there…)

Before she could answer, Naruto ran around the side of the house and jumped back in through the window. He had heard noises in there.

He found Sasuke pushing furniture back into place.

"Aw, you didn't have to do that Sasuke!"

"Hn. Come over and help me with this."

He was attempting to drag the bed across the room.

"Sure thing!" Naruto ran over to help his friend.

Little did he know he was falling right into Sasuke's trap (please, if Naruto could move the bed out of the room, why couldn't Sasuke move it back into the room?).

He was pushed down onto the bed by Sasuke who was suddenly behind him, and then he found the other boy on top of him, kissing his neck.

YAOI SCENE YAOI SCENE YAOI SCENE YAOI SCENE YAOI SCENE YAOI SCENE YAOI SCENE YAOI SCENE YAOI SCENE YAOI SCENE YAOI SCENE YAOI SCENE

**Okay, there's your chapter for ya, there's a bit of Sasunaru in there, but I don't trust myself to write the smutty yaoi scene, so I'll have to leave you people to your own devices.**

**R&R please!!!!**


	8. I need a beta!

**I'm so glad that I got a lot of reviews on this chapter (number7)! I think that's the most reviews I've ever gotten on a single chapter! Also, I've reached the 25 review mark!!!**

**Thank you so much to all those who supported me, even though I've been evil and not updated in like, a million years.**

**I'll try to write another chapter and put it up soon, but right now, I'm on a quest.**

'**Oh no, what kind of idiocy has she cooked up this time?' you ask? Well, I NEED A BETA!!!!! Runs off to cry in a corner…**

**Yeah, so, if anyone's interested, please speak up! Also, any ideas are very much loved!!!**

**Stay tuned, thanks so much for all the support!!!!**

**P.S. I'm putting a vote. Do you want another pairing? If so, which one? KakaIru, GaaNeji, SakuLee, something else, none at all, or just more Sasunaru goodness? THANK YOU!**

**Oh, and the 35th reviewer (whenever that will be…) will get a oneshot for any pairing they want(just not yuri I can't write those, sorry…)! It's probably not an interesting prize, but it's there!!! So, yeah. Please vote, any ideas are much loved, and I NEED A BETA!!!! **


	9. Hair

**Thank you so much for the great turnout of reviews in the last chapters! I know I said that last chapter, and I've been doing a lot of author notes recently, but I'm kinda writer's blocked.**

**Thanks to everyone who answered my last chapter, I promise I'll pick a beta soon! Umm… yeah.**

**So, here's the next chapter! I'll try and make it not suck.**

The next morning, the two boys woke to the sound of a fist hammering on the door angrily.

"Naruto!!! Come on! I thought I told you yesterday, we have a mission today! Come on! Wake up, I gotta go get Sasuke-kun after this!"

Sakura hadn't been told about their relationship yet.

A high pitched shriek was heard as a mass of silver hair popped down from the window. A head followed soon after. Someone was hanging upside down from Naruto's roof!

"Yo."

"K…K…Kakashi-sensei! What are you doing here?" Naruto asked.

"Well boys, you know I don't disapprove of your "togetherness" as it may be, but seriously, Sakura told you guys you had a mission."

The sound of the pink-haired kunoichi pounding her fist against Naruto's door could still be heard.

"Oh, and Sasuke?" The silver haired jonin said rubbing his temples, "did you have to scream like that? Do you _want_ me to loose my hearing?"

Sasuke looked down in shame, still blushing from his girlish scream.

"Oh, right. Sorry Kakashi-sensei! We'll be out in five minutes!"

Sasuke looked like he was about to protest, but Kakashi left before he had the chance.

"What's wrong Sasu-koi?"

The raven-haired teen pouted.

"Naru-chan!" he said in a whining voice. "You know it takes me at least half an hour to get ready! What about my hair???"

The blonde scratched the back of his head apologetically.

"Gomen Sasu-koi, I totally forgot! But, we've got a mission, and we're already late, so…"

But before he could finish his sentence, Sasuke bolted to the bathroom, took the shower head and sprayed cold water on his hair.

"Naruto! I need a comb and hair gel, NOW!"

"Gomen, I don't have any of those things Sasu-chan! My hair style is al natural!"

"Argh! How am I going to go out looking like this!" He said, pointing to his hair.

"OMG! Sasuke, you…your… your hair!"

The teen's hair was hanging limp, strands sticking up here and there, making it look as if he had been electrocuted.

"What!" He exclaimed angrily "You think that sexy hair that girls faint over comes naturally to me? Yeah right! I spend _at least_ half an hour on that _every morning_!"

"Sorry Sasu-chan, we've gotta go now though!"

And with that, Naruto grabbed his lover's hand and dragged him outside, still in his rumpled clothes from yesterday, because he had forgotten to bring extras.

The look of shock that crossed Sakura's face was to die for.

"Sasuke-kun, your hair! What happened? And your clothes?"

Kakashi suppressed a giggle. (Yes, Kakashi giggles. Quite often really!)

"Hn. I fell."

**Well, I was kinda coming up with this on the spot, so I'm gonna halt this train wreck before I do something really stupid.**

**I'm sorry that this really sucks, I apologize to any disappointed readers…**

**Well, hopefully the next hope won't suck as bad as this one.**

**I have no clue at all where this fic is headed, so stay tuned!**


	10. Omake Theater, Cowboys For a Day

**Don't even bother to question the insanity, no amount of logic could ever explain what I'm about to attempt to do.**

**I'm watching 'The Three Amigos', and I have a sudden urge to write this. I'm just writing this as I go though, so it probably isn't going to be very good.**

**This is completely unrelated to the original story line.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I don't own 'The Three Amigos', I don't even own the laptop I'm typing this on (I "borrowed" my Mom's), but I do own the messed up brain that decided to write this.**

"Ne, ne, Sasuke!"

"What is it Dobe?"

"How the hell are you supposed to walk in these things?"

"What?"

Naruto emerged from the changing room, and immediately fell flat on his face.

"Smooth usuratonkachi."

"Itai!!! You're so mean Sasuke-teme!"

"Hn."

"Anyway, how are you supposed to walk in these things? I think someone's trying to play a trick on me! They glued blocks to the ends of my shoes, and they're all uneven now!!!"

The raven haired teen sighed.

"Baka, those are heels. Two inch block heels."

Naruto looked at him in confusion.

"What!!!!" Sasuke yelled unexpectedly.

'Did Sasuke just yell out?' Naruto thought

"How come you got nicer shoes than me??" Sasuke asked.

"What?" Naruto asked in confusion.

Sasuke walked towards him and crouched down examining his cowboy boots.

"These are pure leather, with snakeskin embellishing at the top, and the rhinestones over here form the letters N.U! (Naruto Uzumaki) How come you got awesome shoes? And look at the spikes!!! They're silver!!!"

"… Umm, Sasuke? What are you talking about?"

The taller boy then launched on some rant about the quality of the leather in his boots not being as good, and how the rhinestones on his were either scratched or missing, and some other stuff about designers that Naruto would never understand.

"Sasuke-kuuuuuuuuun!" A pink haired girl screeched.

Sasuke stopped on midway through his discussion about the importance of Jimmy Choo (I don't own that either…) and Miu Miu (nope, still not mine) to look up and see the girl charging straight towards him.

She was outfitted in a long grey skirt and pink button-up top with frills and lace. Her pink hair was tied up neatly in a bun.

"Yo." Soon after her followed a silver haired man, a bandana tied over one of his eyes, and another over the rest of his face so that only one eye was visible. He wore black leather pants (drool…) and a black shirt with a brown cow hide (I don't know what the correct word is, so deal) vest over it. His boots greatly resembled Naruto's.

"You got better shoes than me too Kakashi-sensei?"

"Well, it would appear so Sasuke."

Sasuke ran off to go cry in some corner.

Naruto took the opportunity and threw a rock at the back of his head. It hit its target.

"Naruto-baka! What was that for!" The girl yelled hitting the blonde over the head.

"Now, now students. Please, calm yourselves."

"Oh, hey Kakashi-sensei?"

"Yes, what is it Naruto?"

"Why are we dressed like cowboys?"

"I told you, it's for a mission. We have to go entertain at some birthday party. Look, I don't want to do this either, but just deal. Here are your horses."

The man led the three teenagers towards a stable.

"Sasuke." He said, pointing towards a tall black stallion.

"Naruto." This time he motioned towards a tall golden haired horse.

"Sakura."

"What!?!"

"Sorry Sakura, in the old west, girls didn't get nice horses." He said as he led a small fat donkey out for her.

"Hmph."

"Haha! Sakura got the ass!!!"

Everyone stared to look at the boy who just yelled that.

"Umm, Sasuke? Since when did you become loud?"

"Eh, since I decided that being emo like I used to be would only get me more rocks thrown at my head."

Naruto thought for a moment.

"Well, if you're gonna act like me, then I'm gonna act more like you!"

With that, Naruto knocked Sasuke off his horse, threw off his own brown jacket and put on Sasuke's black one. Then he mounted the tall black horse, and tied a black bandana over his hair (in a very manly fashion I assure you.).

"Okaaaaaay… Now that that's settled, let's get going." Kakashi said.

"Yeah! We're off dattebayo!" Sasuke exclaimed.

"Hn."

"Urusai Naruto-teme! No one asked your opinion!!!"

"Dobe."

'You now? It feels really good to call someone Dobe. I can see why Sasuke does it so much…' Naruto thought.

'Heh, that has a kind of ring to it, doesn't it? Naruto-teme… it's kinda fun to say!' Sasuke thought.

**Okay, yeah. I'm gonna stop this before I do anything really stupid.**

**Hope you didn't hate it with a passion, and if you did, please flame!**


	11. Shark Eyes, The first official filler

**Well, a little intro to the next few chapters…**

**I'm at a total loss for ideas, so in the style of Masashi Kishimoto-san, I'm going to write fillers!!! W00t! So yeah… on to the fillers!**

Shark Eyes

Shark Eyes

They say sharks eyes are cold, black and lifeless. Like a doll's eyes.

Someone once told me I have sharks eyes.

I shrugged it off at first, but then I got to thinking about it. Maybe I have more in common with sharks than just my eyes.

Did you know that if sharks stop moving, they die? They even swim in their sleep. I'm the same way, but in a less physical sense.

I was always planning ahead, even as a child. My world was always about moving forward. Beating Itachi. Getting somewhere. I was never contented with just staying where I was.

I have a dirty little secret.

When I came home that day, all those years ago, when I found what Itachi had done. He let me live, and I ran. I was going to tell someone, anyone, but I couldn't. Not at first anyway.

I hid for a while, thinking. Although, I suppose it couldn't really be considered hiding, since if anyone wanted to find me, I was in plain view. I was sitting on that lone bench across from the entrance of the Academy. I had always wondered why someone would build just one swing. It seemed to attract loners like myself.

I was terrified that night, but not for the more obvious reasons. I've never been a very logical creature in that sense.

I was thinking about how I had stopped.

After what Itachi had done, he would have to leave. Already, a major part of me had come crashing to a screeching halt.

My parents, not to mention every other Uchiha, were gone. No one left to impress or prove my worth to as I had been doing the entirety of my life as far back as I could remember. Another part of my existence had stopped.

I didn't even have any friends to begin with. No one to bother waking up for. No one I cared enough about to live for was left alive. No reason to try anymore.

That was the first and last time I seriously contemplated suicide.

I remember I was sitting on the swing, rocking back and forth slowly, tears no longer falling from my long dried eyes. I let my heavy lids fall, and thought about how foolishly easy it would be to end it all now.

Then I realized something else.

I was still alive, which meant that something in me had to still be moving. Not everything had stopped, and as long as something remained moving, I still had a purpose in life.

I still had a person I could prove myself to. Even possibly someone who might genuinely care if I was gone.

U had to prove myself to Itachi. I had to destroy him. Also, there must have been a reason why he didn't kill me like he did the others. Some special purpose only I can fulfill.

In the end though, Itachi was the only one I really had left to exist for.

Even though most of me stopped that day because of him, a single precious piece was left moving by him too. What a sick, twisted thing he had done to me.

_In the end, all that remained was hope._

Itachi used to real that myth to me every night we were both home before I went to sleep. Maybe he meant for me to remember this now. Maybe one day I can ask him.

As I have said before, I am not very logical being. I accepted that truth so long ago, and yet I still live by it today. Even though it's obvious that I have so much more purpose today, and that so much more of me has been fixed, I cannot accept it any other way than it was back then. My foundation is still the same. This is why I'm willing to give up everything I've gained to beat Itachi.

It's the last thing I can do before I stop moving completely. I know I'll stop when he's gone, but I don't really mind so much as I should.

I guess Kakashi was right that day. "In the end, all you'll have is emptiness."

It was funny that I should remember that now, in a situation like this. Standing over the bleeding body of my older brother, Uchiha Itachi, a hunted Konoha missing nin myself now too.

I watch as the light slowly leaves his eyes, and even though he must be in excruciating pain, he never so much as whimpers. The twisted smirk he wears, so similar to my own, falls oh so slightly, and then he is gone. I feel a crushing sense of loss in my chest. I haven't felt anything there in so long.

It seems my heart is dormant until someone I love dies.

I collapse in a heap next to him.

How befitting that the two of us should come to our end like this. He always told me that there were no two brothers like us. I would always be struggling to beat him and get out from his shadow, and he would always be just out of my grasp.

I couldn't move, I couldn't even breathe. I could only think. My mind was racing a thousand miles a second, and yet it was barely moving at all. Such a strange sensation. I felt one last unimaginably cold chill, and then came the darkness.

**Well, this all started the other night when my Mom made me watch 'Jaws'. The old creepy fisherman guy, Quint says something about shark eyes being black, dull and lifeless like doll eyes, and me, having no life to speak of whatsoever, immediately thinks of a fic I could write.**


	12. Wake every morning alone, Second filler

There's not a day I don't think about you, Aniiki. Every morning when I open my eyes to an empty house, and I think about how you killed my entire family. There are other times during the day that I think about you too. Usually when I'm training, and I ask myself why I try so hard. But you see, the point I'm trying to make is that there's not a day that goes by that I don't think about you, because you're the first thing I think of every day. Every day, because I always wake up alone.

I've fallen into this detestable routine.

I wake up every morning before the sun, and curse your soul to Hell. I train, I eat, then I train some more. Sometimes I meet up with my team for some mission, but it's always the same. I hate it, I hate myself for being so weak as to allow it, but most of all, I hate you for making me like this.

You said that day that you wanted to see what you were capable of by killing everyone else. But I know the one way to surpass you, and it doesn't even involve killing you. That would be playing into your trap, and doing what you wanted me to do. I refuse to give you any fulfillment. No, I found a better way to surpass you, by doing the one thing you weren't strong enough to do.

To take my own life.

You said it yourself. You and I are bonded together by some twisted fate. "There are no two brothers like us." You will always be in the shadow of the clan's name, and I will always be in your shadow, struggling uselessly to surpass you. When you killed everyone and left me alive, I knew then that you wanted to keep some part of yourself alive. You cut off everything else except for me, and I'm the last remaining tie you have to your old self. You weren't strong enough to stop everything and kill both yourself and I. You were scared, I saw it in your eyes that day. I couldn't place it at first, but I know now that what I saw in your eyes was raw fear. You knew you couldn't do it.

So now I'm going to ruin your plan, and do what you couldn't. I'm not afraid anymore, because even though I have more to loose than you ever did, I'm ready and willing to give it all up. To give it all up for a shred of peace. If I can't wake up without thinking of you, I've decided that its' better to not wake up at all.

_Standing over the sink, looking in the mirror, only to see cold black eyes full of hatred staring back at me. And then red eyes, and I know I've become just what you want me to be. And avenger, whose world revolves around you. You always did like to be the center of attention._

_I have a special tool for today. And how ironic, it's yours. It's the kunai you embedded in the wall, right in the center of the Uchiha crest. I wonder if you'd remember it. See? There I go again, thinking about you. Even now, when my life is about to end._

_The only regret that I have is that in a way, I'm doing this for you._

_And then there is crimson, and then there is black, and then there is nothing._

I try to lift my arm to move the sheets off me, but I can't. My arms won't move. I begin to go into a panic as memories of last night come rushing back to me. _'What if something went wrong, and I'm still alive but I won't be able to move my arms every again? And, how did I get into my bed? Wasn't I in the bathroom? Did someone find me? Oh, oh please no. Please I hope that no one found me.'_

And when I open my eyes, I scream.

I scream, but nothing comes out. My throat is dry and no sound comes out. There's someone in my room. Sitting on a chair, eyes closed, head tilted off to the right. A soft snore cuts through the silence like a knife.

'_Why are you here?'_ I wonder.

Your eyelids flutter open, and you straighten up in your chair.

"Oh, so you're awake." You don't look happy. The normal shine in your eye is no longer present. You're so serious, so… angry, and yet concerned at the same time.

I open and close my mouth again, trying to form words, but none come out. You chuckle cynically under your breath.

"Yeah, that's what you get. Side-effects, ricochet, consequence… What the hell did you think you were doing?" Tears are forming in the corners of your eyes, and your posture exudes exhaustion and failure. Defeat.

And then it hits me. You're concerned. Concerned about me well-being. I knew you were my friend, but somehow, this damaged brain of mine never connected that to real emotion. I never thought that you may be sad or even care at all if I was gone.

And then I realize something else too. Something even more shocking. My first thought today, I haven't even thought about you yet Aniiki, not today.

Maybe there's hope for me after all.

"What!" You say, exasperated. "Why are you… crying?" You ask in confusion. It's then that I notice the warm salty water streaming down my face.

Sure I attempted suicide yesterday, I can't talk right now, my arms are tied down to the bed, but I didn't think about you at all today! A choked sob laugh escaped my dry throat.

"You think this is funny! Oh great. Just great. Well, Tsunade no-baachan says I have to stay here all day until she has time to come perform a real check-up on you, so deal. Even though I don't see what you can do in that state. You can't even talk, and there's no way you're breaking out of those chains." More laughter. "You want to say something? Fine. I'll stay here. See if you can say anything." You sigh heavily as you drop back down into the black leather armchair. "I'm so tired."

And what hurts more than the throbbing in my wrapped wrists is that I know you mean that on so much more than one level. I want so badly to say that I'm sorry, and to apologize to you for all the pain I've put you through. I had no idea.

Maybe Itachi was right. I am foolish.

Four hours later, I look at the clock and see that it's already past noon. You follow my gaze.

"I'm going down to the kitchen to get lunch. You want food?" I feel so weak, not being able to answer you properly, let alone cook for myself. I just nod meekly. You sigh again and walk out, closing the door softly behind you. Soon I smell something good, and fifteen minutes after you left, you come back in again, pushing the door open with your back. You carry a tray in your hands, and on it are two bowls of steaming soup, a glass of water, and a glass of milk.

I must have been looking at you disbelievingly, because you laugh and smile a bit.

"Yes, I can cook. I live by myself, remember?" _'Of course, how could I forget?'_ You sit on the floor and start to eat, not a drop of soup spilled. You drink off half of your bowl before setting it down, taking the other bowl off the tray, and then you begin to spoon feed it to me. It's degrading, but you say nothing, and soon it starts to feel good. It reminds me a bit of how my mother used to feed me when I had a cold. If I close my eyes, I bet I can picture her here with me again.

The hot soup tastes good, and stings my throat as it goes down. I wince slightly, but continue taking the food you give me. When I've finished, you go back to eating your own lunch.

"Na…N…Naru…to" I manage to choke out hoarsely. You look up at me. "Th… Thank…y…you." The words burn my throat, but I have to continue. "For once… it wasn't… wasn't him who r…ruled my mind." You look at me questioningly, but you accept my words silently. "Not again… promise." I smile a bit, and you smile back.

Someone nocks on the door.

"Naruto, open up. It's me." I recognize the voice as that of the Godaime Hokage. You open he door and she swaggers in, dropping her medic bag on the floor by my bed.

"You fed him? Good." She looks back over at me. "This was extremely stupid Sasuke. Naruto will monitor you for the next week or two, as long as I see fit. Try anything funny, and he will stop you and bring you to me. You will be detained in the mental ward. Got it?"

"Y… Yes."

She pulls another bag off fro mover her shoulder. "Sorry Naruto." She says as she tosses the large black sack to him. "You're place is too small, so I had a sleeping bag and some clothes brought here. You're staying here in Sasuke's room."

"Feh."

"Oh, and Sasuke? Ill come untie you tomorrow." And then she forms a few hand seals and disappears in a cloud of white smoke.

You open the bag and set up your sleeping bag on the floor.

"I'm going to meditate and practice molding chakra until I go to bed. You should rest." I notice that I am tired, and slowly I drift off to sleep.

The next morning I wake up, still tied down to my bed, but I'm not alone.

**Well, that wasn't very good, pretty bad actually. I liked it in the beginning, but then I kinda feel like I lost it. Oh well, there's another filler for ya.**


	13. Smiles not meant for me, Final Filler!

**Well, this chapter is in dedication to the last Naruto filler episode, episode 220 Coming Home. I haven't watched it yet, but hopefully I can tomorrow. It's gonna be the last filler (for now) in this fic. The next chapter will go back to the original plotline, although I'm warning you all, it probably won't be any good. Well, here's to one last really depressing filler!!!!**

**Note: I couldn't really decide who I wanted this chapter to be about, it was between Naruto, Sasuke, Gaara, Hinata, Neji, or Shino. I even thought a bit about Kiba, Sakura and Lee, but in the end, I decided to make it about Gaara, since I think it can be more depressing abut him and also, the last filler arc is mostly about him anyway, I mean, episode 219 was. Once again, I haven't yet seen 220.**

Jokes not meant for me, Smiles and Love made for me to never see

I have seen people laugh at something funny before. Standing in the shadows behind them, I have let a small smile grace my face laughing at these things too. But they were never meant for me to hear, not told for me to laugh at. You didn't want me to enjoy your jokes or take part in your happiness. No one ever did.

A genuine smile spreads quickly across your face, infectious as it is caught by the passerby. Someone made you glad, and that's your token of appreciation, your best way of enjoying their gift. But it wasn't a smile directed at me, nor did you even mean for me to see it. It's always been this way, because no one ever cared about me.

I was raised mostly by myself, I taught myself how to control my abnormal powers, because no one dared to teach me. No one knew how, because I was the first. I was an experiment, and a failure. But even though I taught myself great skills, there is one thing no one can teach themselves. Compassion.

Compassion has to be shown to you by someone else. You have to feel it given to you, and be able to embrace it. But of course, no one ever even bothered to talk to me, a few would say "Go away you filthy demon child!", or "Look! It's Gaara! Everyone run!", but most made a point of ignoring me.

When people see me, they cross the street.

And I've always felt that in the bottom of my heart, there are two truths.

One is that I exist to kill others, others exist to make me feel alive.

The second, is that in this world, there is no one like me. No one in the same situation of desperation, no one as lonely, no one as sad, no one as confused, no one as angry, and certainly no one as misunderstood.

But I was wrong on both counts.

I had never before met someone I cared about, or someone I didn't want right away to kill. Until I met you that is. You are the miracle hero child who upset the very foundation of my world, but all the while building me something more stable to stand on.

Uzumaki Naruto.

You were just like me. Alone, afraid, scared, and uncared for. Never loved, because the people couldn't see the real you. No, it was more that the people chose not to see the real you. Only the demon inside of you. That was where you destroyed my second truth. You were just like me, and that made me want to kill you all the more.

But I couldn't, because you smiled. You smiled a real smile, and you smiled it just for me, and you allowed me to smile back, and you weren't afraid. You weren't quick to judge, only quick to forgive and forget. You worked hard to see the real me, because you didn't want to be hypocritical ad cause me the same pain as was inflicted upon you.

You smiled for me, and you didn't even know who I was.

And then, after you did, you smiled anyway.

So maybe there was hope for me after all.

A smile meant only for me, and not meant for anyone else to see.

I guarded the memory like a selfish child guards his toys, because it was the first thing that anyone had ever given me, with no malice or hatred intended. It was indeed a special thing.

And so now, when someone laughs, not for me, I don't smile to their backs or try and pretend that I am a part of their happiness, because I know that I am not ad probably never will be. It's the way of the world. But I don't mind so much anymore, because I know hw it feels like to be smiled at, and I wouldn't have liked it if someone had been behind me then stealing my smile away from me.

So for that simple act, I think you. For just a moment, you allowed me to be just like everyone else. Someone to whom you handed out smiles and cheer.

A smile meant only for me.

And so I try now to smile at others, even though it usually makes them run, but one day, I will find someone who needs my smile just as much as I needed yours, and then thee story will continue.

**Well, it was a weird idea, and I didn't really know how to develop it, and this really wasn't a good chapter, so please people, DON'T KILL ME!!!!!!! Voila. The final filler chapter in honor of the final filler episode.**

**P.S. Stay tuned! I'm going to begin a high school fic! The whole idea is still undergoing final processing in my brain, so hopefully the first chapter should come out sometime this month, next month tops!**

**Ja Ne!!!**


	14. The mission starts in Suna: Real Chapter

**Okay! The first real chapter in a while, and looking back to the vote I once asked people to take about another pairing, I got one answer! Yay! And so this chapter will have some GaaNeji in it! I love this pairing too. Thank you so much to Saughterofmisery who voted! Yay!**

When Kakashi, Sakura, Naruto and a limp haired Sasuke finally got to the gates of Konoha, Hyuuga Neji was already standing there waiting. When he caught sight of Sasuke's hair, a very un-Neji-like look of shock and amusement crossed his flawless features.

"Stuff it Hyuuga." Sasuke said icily shooting the prodigy a chilling death glare. From behind the raven haired teen, Naruto burst out laughing. He was laughing so hard he was doubled over and clutching his sides.

"What?" Sasuke said angrily, not sure why he was being laughed at by his blonde fox.

"It's just…just that y…you look so s…stupid glaring at him with your h…hair like that!" He said gasping for breath. The Hyuuga smirked, and Kakashi looked up from his book to see the fight that was sure to ensue.

"Naruto-baka!!! Don't insult Sasuke-kun like that! You heard him, he said he fell! I bet you tripped him too!" The loud blonde kunoichi said smacking him over the head with her fist.

"Itai, itai! That hurt Sakura-chan!" The blonde said whiningly as he rubbed the growing lump on his head. Kakashi sighed knowingly.

"Okay team, let's get going. As you now, we're going of to Sunagakure to help them with some security issues. Most of their ninjas are off on a training mission in the village hidden in the mist, so they asked for some special help from Konoha. Neji Hyuuga will be accompanying us, we should all be very grateful for his byakugan. We'll be in Suna for three days, so I hope you all brought clothes enough for that amount of time." He was eyeing Sasuke who had a backpack slung over his shoulders, but it looked suspiciously empty.

The five shinobi started jumping through the trees, off on their way to the village hidden in the sand. Naruto and Sasuke were in the back, and Sasuke moved over to Naruto's side so he could whisper something to the other boy without being overheard.

"Naruto, what am I going to do about clothes? I don't even have an extra pair of boxers!" He hated being so helpless, but he was really at a loss for what to do. He doubted that Naruto had a solution to his problem, in fact, his knowing would probably just make things worse, but Sasuke felt like ne needed to tell someone.

The blonde smiled coyly. "Don't worry Sasuke-koi, I brought extra boxers of my own for you, and I have a pair of your clothes form the last time you came over." He smirked. "You'll just have to find a way to wash the clothes you're wearing now, okay? Hopefully you can make them last. If not, I have an extra pair of my clothes. It's a bit big for me, so it should probably fit you just fine."

The thought of wearing that bright orange outfit horrified Sasuke. He decided that he would just have to be extra careful to not get his clothes dirty. On the other hand, he was extremely grateful to his boyfriend for being so smart about the whole situation.

"Thanks Naru-chan." He said sweetly and sincerely. The two smiled a lovers smile to each other before speeding up to join the rest of the group. Sakura may not have noticed their absence, but their sensei and a certain brown haired Hyuuga boy did. Of course, Kakashi already knew what was going on.

Later at the Suna village gates

The five Konoha shinobi stopped right outside the gates to the Village Hidden in the Sand so Kakashi could introduce them to the gate guards. Neji stood off on his own to the left of Team 7, and Sakura attached herself to Sasuke's neck like a human pendant. Naruto was just a little bit jealous, but he refused to say so. It wouldn't be good if he broke his and Sasuke's cover just yet.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun! When this mission is over, do you want to go on a date with me? Huh? How about it?" The pink haired girl asked for what had to be the millionth time.

"No." The boy said stoically.

"But…Why!?!" She asked dejectedly.

"No. I've said it multiple times, no. I don't like you, I never liked you, and I never will like you. No." Naruto wasn't sure why he was being so harsh to her today. Normally he just brushed her off with a cold glare or a simple "No." Even though he felt bad for Sakura having her feelings hurt, he knew what a cold bastard his boyfriend could be, but deep inside he felt something new. It was a dark emotion, and it felt like he was eating his insides slowly turning him black from the inside out.

It was resentment. A deep evil hating resentment.

'Why does Sakura have to go and drool over my boyfriend like that?' His inner mind yelled at him. 'How many times has he told her no, and yet she still tries over and over again to win over his affections! She's just an annoying, plotting wh- No! Get a hold of yourself!' Naruto was shocked that he could even think such things.

"Naruto?" Sakura said questioningly. "Is something wrong? You looked like you were thinking really hard about something." Sasuke scoffed.

"Don't hurt yourself, Usuratonkachi." He smirked.

'Trust Sasuke to know exactly when I need help. He set it up perfectly for out normal catfight routine. I fall back into the roll of loud obnoxious idiot, and he plays the stoic bastard.'

"Hey!" The blonde yelled shaking his fist dramatically. "Don't insult me Sasuke-bastard!"

"Feh."

"Yeah Naruto! Don't insult Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said hitting Naruto over the head again. That was one thing he could do without. The abuse from Sakura.

"Okie guys! We're all set to go in, and we're gonna meet up with Gaara and his siblings, remember them? They're gonna brief us on the village's current security situation. We're gonna be splitting up into groups of two or three, okay? But we'll sort all that out when we get there."

The silver haired jounin led his squad to a small dusty building where the Suna siblings as they were known were already waiting. Temari stood like her brother, leaning against the wall with a bored look in their eyes. Gaara was standing straight up, the gourd on his back preventing him form taking the same position as the others. His eyes were closed and his mouth was set in a thin straight line. The dust blew wildly around his ankles.

"Yo." Kakashi said playfully.

They didn't look amused.

"Okay, here's the deal." Temari said in an all-business voice. "Over 80 percent of our jounin and chunin are out on a special training mission. We're not expecting any trouble, but you guys are here just in case. We've already thought out how we're going to divide the teams, so here are the groupings. Kankuro and I will go together, pinky over there will go with Kakashi-san, the obnoxious blonde will go with the brooding Uchiha, and Gaara will go with the Hyuuga."

After a moment of Sakura and Naruto yelling at Temari for the nicknames, the teams split up.

Neji was the only one to notice the playful look in Gaara's eye as he sped off towards the Western edge of the village.

**Next time, Gaara and Neji on watch duty all alone together at the outskirts of the village where no one else is. Nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more.**

**Hope people like the chapter, please review!**


	15. Boredom watching: Let the GaaNeji begin

Sasuke and Naruto reached the Southern edge of the village in a few minutes. They decided to move the extra clothes Naruto had brought into Sasuke's backpack, because the blonde was complaining about his bag being heavy. All was calm to the South.

To the East, Sakura was combing her hair as her lazy sensei read his book.

At the Northern gate, Temari was beating Kankuro over the head because he had tried to sneak up on her and pull out her pigtails with his puppet Karasu.

However, to the West, there was trouble in the air.

Well, really it was sand swirling around, but when the sand was swirling so unnaturally, trouble was bound to come, as it meant that Gaara was wither sad, scheming, or happy. But seeing as how the latter never occurred, things looked grim for a certain Hyuuga Neji as he continued to back away from the pale redhead.

He took another few steps back, and he was now pressed against a tree. The sand curled around his feet, trapping him in place up to his knees. He would have questioned the boys motives had he not heard Naruto and Shikamaru's tail about Gaara's "meaning of life" being to kill anyone and everyone. That did not of course, mean that he wanted to die like this. What confounded him though was that the sand stopped at his knees. Also, it wasn't tightening at all like he had seen with the desert coffin. It was tight, but only tight enough to keep him from breaking out.

As he contemplated the meaning of the situation, he didn't notice the sand coiling around his wrists. They formed two inch thick bracelets around his arms and slowly lifted them above his head before pinning them to the tree also. Neji realized with a shock that he was helplessly and hopelessly trapped.

Gaara smirked as he walked closer to his captive, a mischievous glint in his manic aquamarine eyes. He licked his lips in a fashion that made Neji shiver.

"It's just us now…_Neji_." He said the older boy's name slowly and deliberately, pronouncing each letter as a separate syllable. He walked closer so there was only an inch separating them, and used the sand to heighten his to Neji's level. They were looking eye to eye, level mouth to mouth, the only difference was that Gaara was the free mastermind, and Neji was the defenseless captive.

A pale hand snaked under Neji's beige jacket, slipping under the black shirt underneath too, teasing the soft flesh of the stomach and lower chest. Neji stifled a moan of pleasure towards the other boys ministrations.

"You don't like it?" Gaara said softly, an almost pout gracing his features. The sand disappeared back into the earth and Gaara rested his head on Neji's chest.

"What's wrong with me?" He asked. He sounded so, vulnerable that the Hyuuga could hardly believe that this was the same Gaara of the Desert that everyone was so afraid of.

"Is it that I'm… a monster? Is that it?" His voice was getting louder, and he was clearly angrier. "Is it that you couldn't love a monster? I see. You think you're too good for all that. Lowly branch member, was it? Hah." Gaara walked away and leaned against a tree with his eyes closed, leaving Neji tied by sand to the tree.

**Well, that was weird, but don't fear, better GaaNeji in the next chapter!**


	16. Could this be love?

**Gah! Okay, so, feeling unloved, the authoress decided to go on strike. The next chapter will not be posted until there are at least five reviews. IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU LIKE THIS STORY AT ALL, PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!!! The poor button is getting so lonely.**

**Well, here it is!  
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Naruto was lazing on the sand, laying on his back looking up at the clouds floating by. He felt a lot like Shikamaru, but with the heat of the desert, he didn't much care. Even Konoha's number one hyperactive knuckleheaded ninja got tired in the heat.

His boyfriend, Uchiha Sasuke, was monopolizing the shade of the only tree in the area. His eyes were closed, but he wasn't sleeping.

"Ne ne, Sasuke!" Naruto said, propping himself up on his elbows. "Don't fall asleep teme!" Though he called his lover a bastard, he didn't mean it badly. It had become an endearing term among the two boys.

From his spot, Sasuke smirked.

"I'm not sleeping, Usuratonkachi. Just resting. It's so hot out here. How can you deal with that sitting out there in the sun like that with your heavy jacket on?" His boyfriend inquired, eyes still closed.

"Baka." Naruto laughed out. "I took of my jacket ages ago! See? You were sleeping, otherwise you would have heard me muttering to the damned evil zipper." Now it was Sasuke's turn to laugh.

"Damned evil zipper Naru-koi?" The blonde blushed at the name.

"Shhhh!!! Not in public!" He looked around, eyes darting left to right frantically, searching to make sure that they were alone. Sasuke laughed again, a thin smile threatening to come across his stone features. He opened his eyes halfway, and realized that his boyfriend had indeed taken his jacket off.

"It's still hot though." Naruto remarked. He grabbed the hem of his shirt in his hands and lifted it over his head, tossing it on the ground by his jacket in one fluid motion. "Well, I guess that's a bit better." He lay back down, and turned his head to face Sasuke. A wide grin still on his ever smiling face.

"Isn't this perfect?" He asked dazedly. He turned his head back up to look at the clouds, a faraway look in his ocean blue eyes.

"What do you mean perfect? It's way too hot, and this mission is lame. I'd much rather be at home, sleeping."

Naruto got up and walked over to his boyfriend, sitting cross legged in front of him.

"Che, Sasuke-koi, you're so quick to see the glass as half-empty! And you've gotten pretty lazy recently. You're always saying that you want to sleep more… But come on! It's so perfect! Sure it's hot, and sure the mission is kinda boring, but at least we can relax, and you should try to get some color into your skin! But seriously…" His voice took on a more serious tone here. "What could be better than laying in the sun with my boyfriend?"

Sasuke smiled. He loved how Naruto was always so positive about life. He shifted from his sitting position and grabbed the blonde, forcing him onto his lap. Yes, at times, Sasuke could be quiet the sappy romantic. He kissed his right cheek, and whispered into his ear.

"You know Naru-chan, maybe you're right. This is pretty perfect." Pale hands roamed a tan chest and Naruto leaned back into Sasuke's arms. Even in the heat of the desert, he was cool to the touch. Sasuke placed a few soft kisses on the crown of Naruto's head he wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close. They sat in silence for a moment before Naruto jumped off Sasuke's lap.

"I'm gonna fall asleep like this!!!" Sasuke looked disappointed for a moment, but realized then that this was typical Naruto. He watched as his blonde lover summoned chakra to the soles of his feet with ease and ran up the side of the tree Sasuke was under. Standing up at the top, he made a visor over his eyes with his right hand and scanned the land for anything suspicious.

"Oh! Sasuke! Look! I can see everyone from here! There's Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-chan, there's Temari-chan and Kankuro, and I see Gaara, but I don't see Neji." Sasuke wasn't particularly listening, but Naruto caught his attention when he jumped down and landed five inches away form him.

"Sasuke-chan! I'm gonna go see what's wrong with Gaara and Neji. I only see one of them, and even though Gaara's really getting better, you know how he is. He still has a bit of a problem, and Neji's really good at pissing people off. I'm kinda worried about them. I'm gonna go, okay?" He started to run off when Sasuke called for him to wait.

"Naruto-baka, I'm sure Neji can take care of himself, and anyway, we have a mission, remember?" Naruto looked at him apologetically before running off again anyway.

"Sorry Sasuke!" he called over his shoulder. "But you know how I am, I can't leave a friend like that!" The raven haired boy smiled. His boyfriend was always so reliable.

Naruto finally arrived to where he had seen Gaara. He was sitting on a rock meditating.

"Yo Gaara! Where's Neji?" Naruto asked, trying his hardest not to sound too suspicious.

"No Naruto, I didn't kill him." Gaara said coolly.

"Hey! Come on Gaara! I never said that you killed him!!!!! I just didn't see him and wanted to make sure that the bastard didn't leave you or something!" The blonde said, scratching the back of his neck, looking very guilty.

"Hey! What makes you think I'd do something like that!" Someone yelled from the other side of the tree. Naruto looked around. '_Sounds like Neji!_'

"He's behind the tree." Gaara explained. Naruto nodded and ran around the other side of the tree, where he found Neji tied by shackles of sand.

"Neji!" Naruto ripped out a kunai and started to hack at the sand around the Hyuuga boy's wrists. It wasn't helping very much. He went back over to where Gaara was, and sat on the rock next to him.

"Come on Gaara. What ever it was he did couldn't have been that bad, cut him some slack. He's not a people person. He's your partner!" Gaara scoffed.

"I don't see why Temari had to pair me with _him_." He spat out the word him venomously. Naruto gazed at him in shock. He hadn't had a reaction like this to a person since they had started the treatment. Gaara was required to come talk to Naruto at least once a month for 'anger management' classes. He had been making some serious progress too, because as loud and annoying as Naruto could be, he was the ultimate friend. He listened to everything that Gaara had to say, and he let him openly show his emotions without judging him. The major factor of course was that Naruto was also a jinchuuriki so he understood the pain of being hated by everyone.

Naruto placed a hand on Gaara's shoulder, who shirked it off immediately. He still wasn't much for the whole physical contact thing. He had a hard time trusting people that much. Naruto decided to try his fool-proof strategy. In all the sessions they had had, the blonde had learned a lot about the sand shinobi. He leaned over and encased Gaara in a warm hug. The red head remained still and unmoving, as un-reactive as stone.

"Come on Gaara… Cut him some slack. Let him down." He remained silent. Naruto sighed, and took the next step of action. He didn't like doing this to his friend, although he did sometimes think it was funny.

"Panda-kun… Raccoon-chan… Panda-kun… Raccoon-chan…" Naruto repeated the annoying names over and over again, whispering them into Gaara's ear. They irked him to no end, and anyone who would dare to use them on him was sure to die, but Gaara could never hurt Naruto. It was an unfair advantage, but with Gaara, Naruto needed all the help he could get.

Gaara sighed, and let the sand fall. Naruto thanked him excitedly and squeezed him before letting go and jumping up to go check on Neji. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor rubbing his red wrists.

"Thank you Naruto. It seems you have a way with Gaara." Naruto smiled at the compliment from the Hyuuga.

"No problem Neji! Anything for a friend, but right now, I better get back to Sasuke before he gets _really_ mad! Ja!" And with that, the orange blur was back on his way to his raven haired lover.

Little did he know that Sasuke had been watching the whole scene form his vantage point on top of the tree. He had gone straight up the second Naruto was gone, and used the Sharingan to follow his movements. He had seen Naruto hugging Gaara and whispering into his ear, and he had seen how Naruto was able to convince Gaara o do something. He wasn't exactly sure what, but he figured it had something to do with Neji, because as soon as Gaara looked defeated, Neji appeared form behind the tree. And Sasuke, being the overprotective bastard that he was, didn't like what he had seen one bit.

He jumped down as Naruto approached and stood waiting for him, hands on his hips, foot tapping impatiently.

"So Naruto, what was the problem?" The blonde smiled.

"Well, Gaara had Neji tied to the tree with some sand ropes, but I convinced him to let him down." Naruto looked very proud of himself. Sasuke was less than pleased, but let his curiosity get the better of him for the moment.

"So, why exactly was he tied to the tree in the first place? What did he do to piss him off that much?" Naruto shrugged.

"I don't know. It's usually best not to ask. He won't tell you anyway, I know." Sasuke was slightly bothered by the fact that his boyfriend knew the red head's tendencies almost as well as he knew Sasuke's, but he let it slide. He would deal with the blonde later.

Neji was unsure of what to do. He had just been kissed by Sabaku no Gaara. _The_ Sabaku no Gaara. He was standing in front of the tree now, three feet away from Gaara's back. The shorter boy was still sitting on the rock meditating.

'_What is this fluttering sensation I feel in my stomach? It's there every time I see _him_. I feel warm and cold at the same time, and I get nervous. I want to say something nice, but he unnerves me so much I always end up saying something cruel. What is wrong with me?_' He closed his eyes and shook his head in frustration. Suddenly he remembered something that his younger cousin Hinata had said to him.

_-flashback-_

_Neji was sitting on his bed molding chakra when he heard a nock at his door._

"_Come in Hinata-sama." He said respectfully but neutrally. She came in, blushing bright red and holding a tray of tea and crackers. Two cups, two plates._

"_D…Do you m…mind if I s…sit and ta…talk to y…you for a mo… moment Neji –n… niisan?" He constant stutter was annoying, but he and Hinata had been getting along much better recently, so he nodded and she sat on the bed next to him. He opened his eyes and she was pouring the tea._

"_Do you have something you wish to tell me Hinata-sama?" Neji asked politely. Hinata blushed even redder._

"_I… I just was won…wondering if I c…could talk to y…you about something N…Neji-niisan." Neji was secretly pleased that his cousin would come to him for help, even though he didn't show it. He didn't have any real friends other than maybe Lee to talk to, so it felt good to be doing something considered as normal._

"_Of course Hinata-sama." She looked down at her feet before beginning, never meeting his gaze._

"_Well, there's this boy I like…" Neji noted incredulously that her stutter was gone, and that she must be talking about the Uzumaki boy. "And, well, whenever I'm around him… I always start blushing and stuttering… and I feel very strange in the pit of my stomach… and I want to tell him… but I don't know how." She paused for a moment, and Neji was silent until she continued._

"_And… well… Niisan… you're a boy so I was… was wondering if… you could tell me how…tell me how you think I should get him to… to notice me." Neji was silent still, and she misinterpreted is lack of answer for disgust. She was always too quick to think that people were looking down on her. She got up to leave, muttering apologies, but he grabbed her wrist before she could get away._

"_Just be yourself Hinata-sama. Talk to him, show him what a wonderful person you are, and don't be afraid." He smiled, and she smiled, and he let go of her wrist. She turned back, gave him a quick, unexpected hug, grabbed the tray and left._

_-flashback over-_

'_Could this be… love?_' Neji thought incredulously. Impossible. Hyuuga Neji would not fall in love so easily. And with a boy at that! But then… why did he feel this insane urge to hug the smaller boy ad hold him close and protect him.

Suddenly, he knew what he had to do.

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**Cliffy!!!! So if you want a next chapter, please review! I need AT LEAST FIVE REVIEWS FOR THERE TO BE A NEXT CHAPTER! Okie?**


	17. Bonus Chapter: Not Listening

**This is a bonus oneshot, but I'm not going to post a bunch of them again. This is just like a reward for reading the fic… To tie people over until I'm done with the real chapter.**

**This is inspired by Hotaru-ai's 'Monster' and the format by 'Dirty Little Secret'. Read them, they're wicked good. Also, I'm listening to Not Listening by Papa Roach, another major factor in the writing of this one, seeing as how that's the song I'm using in it… Please enjoy!**

As he felt the power rush through him, the only thing he could think was that the people were getting what was coming to them.

They had asked for it. It was like a self-fulfilling prophecy. They had always shunned him, saying that he couldn't be trusted, that he was going to turn on them, but what had they done to prevent that? They had shunned him, made him an outcast, they had asked him to hate them with their actions. So now he was giving them what they had asked for. He was becoming the demon that they were so afraid of.

'_Cause I've lost my innocence._

He had asked the demon for this. The last thing he would ask anyone for, because he was long done asking for forgiveness. Why should he? He hadn't done anything wrong. They were the ones who should be begging _his_ forgiveness. And he would give it. He would hand out pardon to the masses, because he wanted to be the better person. But they refused to let him. They had pinned him as the bad person, as the _worst_ person, and there was nothing he could do to change it.

_Am I a failure if I've got nothing to loose?_

Slowly, he could feel him loosing himself. He was giving himself to the monster that he had always been afraid to become. But now he embraced the power. Pushed it farther into every part of his willing body, making it consume him. He wanted nothing of himself to be left.

_No, I'm not a failure. I've got something to prove._

Being Hokage had always been his dream. He had wanted to protect the people, to use his power for better, but that dream was long gone. Now all he wanted was to prove that he couldn't be saved. That he had been pushed over the edge, and that he was going to get his revenge. He wasn't afraid of the consequences, because he wouldn't be there to face them when they came.

_I'm a man that's not afraid of danger._

This was his reward for dealing with their cruelty for so long. This made them all even. It was an insane man's logic, the last mental resort of one who has given up completely. But it fit him to perfection. He had nothing to be ashamed of, he had the right to be angry. He had the right to be furious, and he was. He had told them that one day they'd all know his name. At first he had meant that they would know and respect him, but it had slowly morphed into his own twisted way of announcing his plan to all those who would listen, even if there weren't many that would.

_I told you before, I'll settle the score._

At least they had had someone to hate. One person they could direct all their anger towards. If it wasn't him, it would have undoubtedly been someone else. That had been his way of comforting himself for too long. But his morals had long slipped away, along with his hope, his trust, and his happiness. Now he wished it could have been someone else, anyone else. As long as it wasn't him.

_If not me, then who? If not now, then when?_

At this point, there was nothing anyone could say anymore to bring him back. He had jumped, he had been pushed, there was a difference, but it didn't matter. He was here now, he was falling, and all too soon he would hit the bottom. At the bottom was darkness, in the darkness was solitude, in the solitude there was peace. That was all he asked. He wanted peace, ad he would go out with a bang to get it.

_I'm not listening, not anymore._

They would talk about him, the ones that survived. They would curse him into Hell for as long as they lived, and their children would curse him to Hell, and he would go down in history not as a great leader, but as a horrible monster. That was okay with him. They could curse his soul to Hell all they wanted, he would already be there. He was almost sure that there was a special circle of Hell for demons. For people who gave up and just stopped trying. He would change all their lives, just like they had done to him. They had made his life Hell. Nothing in the afterlife could be worse.

They hadn't known him. They had seen what they wanted to see, what they needed to see. They needed something, preferably someone to hate. Why wouldn't they? A monster had destroyed their village and their people, their beloved leader had died at its hands, they needed a way to show their hate. They thought they knew him because of what was inside of him, but he was a stranger to all of them.

_And I'm a stranger, a life changer._

What had they expected him to do? That was a simple question. They hadn't expected anything from him other than destruction and betrayal. They wanted him to die, to just disappear and leave them alone. Well, he wasn't just going to sit by and take all their abuse. No one would. If any of them had had to deal with the loneliness, the hatred, how would they have acted?

_So fuck you, I'll make my own plan._

This was what they had wanted, this was what they were going to get.

_Shut it up, work it out. Blow it up, set it off, fuck it up, chuck it out. Put it up, blow it up, right now!_

**Voila, there was an idea, and I hope I conveyed it well. The story, if you didn't really get it, is that Naruto is giving himself to the kyuubi so it can be unleashed and destroy everything, because he's just too tired to stop anymore. He's too tired of trying to fight the depression and the urge to give in, and he's contemplating his life and his situation.**

**Please R&R!**


	18. Spars and Sunburns

**Okie, so here's a chapter! While I'm depressed that I had to bribe for it, I'm happy that I got the five reviews. Again, the rule stands. I NEED FIVE REVIEWS FOR THERE TO BE ANOTHER CHAPTER.**

**My writing style may have changed a bit, I think it's because I'm working on _Piano_, a fic that I haven't published yet, but I might. And although this is completely unrelated to this story, I want to thank Hotaru-ai for reading through the six existing chapters of _Piano_ and still asking for more. I'm working on it.**

**ALSO! I AM GOING BACK AND SLOWLY I AM GOIG TO EDIT MOST OF THE EARLIER CHAPTERS, STARTING OBVIOUSLY WITH NUMBER ONE. I'M ADDING STUFF IN TOO, SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO GO BACK AND READ THEM AGAIN. I'VE ALREADY PUT UP THE EDITED FIRST CHAPTER.**

Sasuke and Naruto were talking. Talking about life, love and everything in general. It had been Naruto's idea. Once a week they would discuss anything and everything, to get to know each other better.

"If you loved someone… theoretically of course," Naruto began. He asked his raven haired lover a lot of theoretical questions, but he claimed that he wanted to better understand how the other boy's brain functioned, so Sasuke didn't stop him.

"If you loved someone that you had just met and didn't know much about, would you tell them?" Azure eyes gazed into obsidian ebony hopefully.

"No, that would be foolish." Naruto moved to protest, but Sasuke held a pale hand up to stop him. "What if they don't love you too? You should at least know that before you tell them something important like that." Sasuke said very surely. Naruto sighed and frowned a bit.

"Wrong answer." Sasuke looked at him questioningly, eyes begging for the answer that he was too proud to ask for.

"But that would make you so… vulnerable…" He said meekly.

"That's the point Sasuke. Love is giving someone the power to destroy you, but trusting them not to." He smiled his trademark fox grin, but his boyfriend had long since learned how to decipher the meanings hidden behind those smiles. Naruto, he could tell, was a bit disappointed by Sasuke's answer, but happy that at least he had learned something else about the stoic boy. He was oddly easy to please, and sometimes, now for instance, he was so terribly wise.

Sasuke had once asked him where he came up with all his deep philosophies, but Naruto had just grinned and told him that "After years of living alone and pretending to be happy, you begin to learn what true happiness really is." Sasuke had smiled sadly and asked him how he had known that what he was learning really was happiness and not anther illusion of it. But Naruto, ever the optimist had hugged him and told him that at that point "Happiness was everything that I didn't have. That's how I knew."

The Uchiha did have to admit to himself though, he had always thought of Naruto as something very fragile that had to be handled with extreme care. There were years of hurt hidden under the tough exterior, and with the right provocation, all Hell could break loose and play havoc with his emotions. But, maybe he wasn't so fragile after all. Sasuke was beginning to notice that every time he was around his blonde, he would realize just how empty his life had been before they had become more than friends. Maybe he was the fragile one…

"Come here." Sasuke demanded lovingly. He pulled his boyfriend down next to him and leaned his head on the blonde's tan shoulder. As if on cue, Naruto draped his arm over Sasuke's shoulder and rested his cheek in a mass of soft black hair. He inhaled the scent of mint and tea. That was what Sasuke smelled like.

Naruto loved moments like these. The few times when Sasuke would show his soft, vulnerable side. He always worked so hard to hide it, but for Naruto, he would let down his walls. It made him feel special that someone wanted him, maybe even needed him, after all these years of loneliness. The blonde pulled Sasuke close, and the pale boy leaned into the warm embrace.

Sasuke loved this. He loved being able to be vulnerable for a moment. He always worked to keep up his tough-bastard look, but it was getting harder. The hate imbedded into him by his brother was fading.

Just thinking about Itachi made his blood boil. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to fight back the painful memories of his parents deaths. He felt pathetic that even so many years later those memories could still haunt him, but just knowing that Itachi was still out there somewhere made every day of his life uncomfortable.

Naruto felt him tense up and stroked his hair gently. He leaned down to the pale ear and whispered words of comfort to his lover.

"Shh, it's okay. Don't worry Sasuke. It's okay, I'm here for you. Don't think about it. He's not worth it. Let's not let it ruin our perfect moment. You'll be okay, we're together. He can't take that away form you. He can't take anything anymore. I'm here, Sakura's here, Kakashi-sensei is here, you have so many friends now Sasuke. He can't hurt you anymore."

"How… how did you know?" He asked softly, looking up at the blonde with a childish sadness in his eyes. His lover never ceased to amaze him.

"You… you had that… look on your face." Naruto offered. "You only have that look when you're thinking about Itachi." Naruto knew him so well it was almost… not scary, but almost as if they were one person instead of two.

"Okay, enough with the sappy moments, why don't we spar while we wait for the day to be over? There can't be more than a few more hours left." Naruto said excitedly. Sasuke really wasn't in the mood, but he needed to stop wallowing in his distant past. And of course, if he said no, Naruto would bother him until he finally agreed.

He heaved himself up and walked into the glaring sun, his legs a bit stiff from sitting still for so long. He squinted against the bright light and positioned himself to fight, a kunai spinning around his finger in a steady rhythm. Naruto grinned broadly, wielding a few shuriken of his own. Sasuke could tell from the look in those blue eyes that this was a serious fight, not just a playful spar. He slipped his shirt over his head and threw it on the ground, letting the desert heat wash over him.

Three fast hour later, both boys were on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. Sasuke's stamina and chakra were both at almost zero, and Naruto had been going on nothing but stamina and physical strength for the past hour. It took all the chakra control and concentration he had to fight an opponent as strong as Sasuke while stopping the kyuubi from healing his wounds. He wasn't sure that he wanted the other boy to know about that just yet.

The raven haired Uchiha was amazed that Naruto had been doing so well against him, and using almost no chakra for much of their fight. His taijutsu had improved a lot form his training with Rock Lee. He would teach what taijutsu he learned to Gaara during their sessions, because Naruto was the only one he would allow to teach him. Sasuke knew that the blonde must have more chakra left, but he figured that holding back was some sort of crazy training regimen that Lee had come up with.

Naruto was certainly on equal footing with Sasuke, probably stronger.

But he didn't have much time to think about this, because they weren't alone anymore.

"Yo!" Their lazy sensei said happily. "Time to go. Gaara and his siblings have invited us to stay at Kazekage tower and have dinner with them." But his words only reached one of the boys.

Naruto was snoring softly, laying on his back with a hand thrown over his weary eyes. The silver haired jonin's eyes curved into a smile, and Sasuke looked down at the boy lovingly.

"You wanna carry him, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked softly so as not to wake the sleeping blonde. Sasuke nodded and lifted Naruto onto his bare back, but dropped him right away, letting out a small cry of anguish.

Kakashi looked at him questioningly, and Sasuke looked back just as uncertainly. The older man looked him over, and an apprehensive look flashed in his eyes before he smiled some more and let out a soft chuckle.

"You Sasuke, have a sunburn. And a bad one at that. It's probably because you were out in the sun all day." Sasuke made an attempt to look over his shoulder at the damage, but realized that his neck hurt also. Because he had been dropped, Naruto was already awake again.

He got up and dusted the dirt off his jacket.

"Ne, Sasuke! Your back, it's all pink… I thin you have a sunburn!" He giggled a bit. "Oh, Hi Kakashi-sensei!" Sasuke was attempting to avoid the fact that Naruto was laughing at his condition. He tried to take a step forward, but the backs of his legs were burnt too. He stopped. '_Damn! Is _every_ part of me sunburned?_' (get your minds out of the gutter!!!!)

"Naruto." Kakashi said very seriously. "I think you're going to have to carry Sasuke. But, think of it as good training." He smiled again, and disappeared in a puff of grey smoke. Naruto grumbled under his breath a bit before going over to Sasuke. He turned so his back was facing the other boy and sat down on his heels.

"Okay, get on." He was a bit annoyed that he had to carry Sasuke, but he was amused that a thing as simple as a sunburn would make him so pathetic. Sasuke said something about not needing any help under his breath, but got on anyway. Since Naruto came to Suna quite often to see Gaara, he knew exactly where to go, and they were gone in the blink of an eye, the small clearing they had occupied all morning left almost no traces of their presence.


End file.
